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Reds win with Nikopolidis on their bench

Referee sends off Aris scorer for dedicating goal to deceased teammate By George Georgakopoulos

With caretaking manager Antonis Nikopolidis on its bench, Olympiakos stretched its lead at the top of the Super League table to 13 points on Sunday after its win against PAS Giannina and PAOK’s loss at Asteras Tripolis.

Goals by Rafik Djebbour and Djamel Abdoun secured the Reds a 2-0 win over the team from Ioannina in Piraeus, one day after the dismissal of Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim. Reports say that his successor will hail from Spain.

Olympiakos will also bid farewell to defender Vassilis Torosidis in May as the Greece defender announced on Sunday he will continue his career abroad.

Asteras Tripolis, in third, staked a claim at the second spot of the league after beating visiting PAOK 1-0 through a first-half strike by Ximo Navarro to get to within one point from the Thessaloniki giant.

Fourth-placed Atromitos defeated Platanias 1-0 to practically ensure a place in the playoffs.

Panathinaikos tumbled once again at home as it let slip its 1-0 lead from the Toche goal in the 74th minute. Panthrakikos equalized five minutes from time through Dimitris Papadopoulos, a former Panathinaikos player.

OFI beat Panionios 2-1 to rise to seventh, while Kerkyra snatched an important point away from home through a goalless draw at Xanthi.

Aris and AEK deprived each other of two precious points in a very eventful 1-1 draw in Thessaloniki on Sunday evening. The match saw two players sent off from each team, including Aris scorer David Aganzo for lifting his shirt to dedicate his goal to a deceased teammate, and AEK equalizing through an Antonis Petropoulos goal in the sixth minute of injury time from an offside position.